I am in a beginning photo class and I have a project regarding "place".
I decided to go to Gibsonton, Fl and see if I could find anything interesting. Gibsonton is known as a retreat/retirement community for people that work and travel with the state fair. Here are a few shots that I liked. If you could help me out with criticism, that would be fantastic!
-Kyle

All of your shots have been shot straight on... try moving to different angles to make the picture a bit more dynamic... for example, in the last one get up close and shoot more on a 45 degree angle down the front of it and the row of seating, open up your shutter, and pick a focal point that will give you some depth of field...

The shot with the elephants, maybe get down on the ground and shoot up, with just the elephents in the screen and backlit a bit...

I agree. Many of these shots had interesting elements that you could have played around with. General advice: fill the frame with your subject. The background in #1 is not interesting, so maybe that picture could be improved by moving in closer.

#2 is a snapshot. No clear subject.

#3 is better, but the background is distracting. A portrait shot of the elephants would have made a good picture on it's own.

All of these pictures are shot from the same angle, and it makes me wonder if you just showed up and started snapping photos. If that is the case, I suggest walking around and taking in the whole scene and getting a clear idea of what you want to accomplish.

#4 is my favorite subject matter. However, I think the photo is taken from too far away. Fill the frame with your subject. To me, the row of seats is the most interesting thing. Shooting the seats at a diagonal with a narrow depth of field is one idea, but I think that is kind of a common idea. Next time try moving in close enough on those seats that 5 or 6 fill the frame. Get down on their level. Emphasize the repetition, and get close enough to capture surface texture.

Consider the fact that in #4, for example, the concrete lot and the trees in the background take up roughly half of your frame, and those elements are not even the subject!

You've gotten some great advice. Can you re-shoot it by chance and share your results?

Moving in is a great suggestion. You don't need to show the entire object in the frame. Focusing on particular aspects can make interesting shots. I would take several of each object then see which ones stand out.

Although, maybe I misunderstood the assignment. Do you have more description on the instructors interpretation of "place" is. I think getting details shots as folkds have described would illustrate that you were at fair booths.

I did not really have enough time to go back and re-shoot, but I think the prints I made ended up working well with each other. My professor had only good things to say which is a little frustrating when trying to make improvements.

I realize you guys want to see a more creative way of composing these shots, but my initial intention was to keep them as straight forward as possible. If I had more time, I would have definitely tried some of the things suggested. I was trying to show that these objects are isolated and out of context. The people that own them just have them sitting out in their yard as if they are just a piece of property.

The biggest flaw that I see in your images is that your object of focus is always dead center in the image. Try moving it off-center and use the rule of thirds for more dynamic and lively photographs. Also, avoid cluttered and distracting backgrounds.

I was trying to show that these objects are isolated and out of context. The people that own them just have them sitting out in their yard as if they are just a piece of property.

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I thought that contradiction was the most interesting aspect of these photos when I first saw them. All the carnival tents and yet the grounds are empty and everything looks tired.

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The first one is really the only one that has any contextual clues as to where these things are. You can see some obviously residential buildings in the background. And honestly, if I hadn't read this post, I would have missed it even in that one. If I was looking at these, without the text you added in the first post, I would have thought that these were pictures taken of a carnival being set up.

The best photographs are ones that require no explanation. If you had managed to get, say, a cul-de-sac in the background, with this carnival squirtgun game sitting in someone's yard, then there would have been no need to explain it.

Anyway, think these are interesting photos, but I agree with others that some different angles would have been more interesting.

I never understand how people say they did not have enough time to really compose the shot(s).

Creativity should start the minute you are thinking of the shoot. One of the first concerns of the shooting process is the ANGLE ,then light, then exposure, then other settings...losing oneself in the shooting helps one to forget the time element...even if it means being home late for dinner, seeing the scowl and the cold bowl is in the fridge :violin: sorry for the rant...I feel much better now!